Arboreal locomotion in rats – the challenge of maintaining stability

Schmidt, André; Fischer, Martin S.

doi:10.1242/jeb.045278

Cited by 88 publications

(129 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

113

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In addition, tetrapods moving on small branches reduce the distance of the body to the substrate to minimize the vertical oscillation of the CoM that causes rolling moments (e.g. Schmitt and Lemelin, 2002;Higham and Jayne, 2004a;Schmidt and Fischer, 2010). Other adjustments include the reduction of speed, stride frequency and peak forces (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The influences of substrate orientation on small-branch locomotion are not as well known, as studies of horizontal branch locomotion (e.g. Schmitt, 2010) and almost all studies focusing on climbing to date do not include kinetics (mammals: Nakano, 2002;Nyakatura et al, 2008;Schmidt and Fischer, 2010;Shapiro and Young, 2010;Stevens et al, 2011;lizards: Higham and Jayne, 2004a;Higham and Jayne, 2004b;Foster and Higham, 2012). Besides the studies of vertical climbing in Old and New World monkeys (Hirasaki et al, 1993;Hirasaki et al, 2000;Nakano, 2002;Hanna and Schmitt, 2011), only one study to date has investigated the kinetics of small-branch locomotion on shallow inclines and declines [in Monodelphis domestica (Lammers, 2007)].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, chameleons are expected to reduce peak vertical forces in order to minimize oscillations of the CoM and therefore maximize stability during walking on inclined/declined substrates. A reduction of peak vertical forces could be obtained by lowering the pivot height and/or by increasing the contact time of the forelimbs and hindlimbs, as seen in several mammals and marsupials moving on small branches (Lammers, 2007;Schmidt and Fischer, 2010;Stevens et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Biodynamics of climbing: effects of substrate orientation on the locomotion of a highly arboreal lizard (Chamaeleo calyptratus)

Krause

Fischer

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYArboreal substrates differ not only in diameter, but also in continuity and orientation. To gain more insight into the dynamics of small-branch locomotion in tetrapods we studied the veiled chameleon walking on inclined and declined perches of up to 60deg slope. We found that forelimbs and hindlimbs contribute equally to the bodyʼs progression along inclines and declines. The higher-positioned limbʼs vertical impulses decreased with slope. And although vertical impulses in the lower-positioned limb increased with substrate slope, peak vertical forces decreased. The decrease in peak vertical forces in the lower-positioned limb can be explained by a considerable increase of tensile forces in the higher-positioned limb as the slope increases. In addition, limbs were more crouched on slopes whereas no changes in forward and backward reach were observed. Mediolateral impulses were the smallest amongst the force components, and lateral impulses (medially directed limb forces) exceeded medial impulses (laterally directed limb forces). On inclines and declines, limb placement was more variable than on level substrates. The tail never contacted the substrate during level locomotion; however, on inclines and declines, the tail was held closer to the substrate, with short substrate contacts in one-third of the analyzed trials. Regardless of substrate orientation the tail was always held straight above the branch; therefore, rotational moments induced by the tail were minimized. Supplementary material available online at

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Biodynamics of climbing: effects of substrate orientation on the locomotion of a highly arboreal lizard (Chamaeleo calyptratus)

Krause

Fischer

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Mice and rats are competent climbers and possess good grasping skills (Schmidt and Fischer 2010) that are thought to be guided by a combination of olfactory, visual and tactile cues (Bhattacharyya and Bhalla 2015;Niederschuh et al 2015;Schroeder and Ritt 2016). However, the tactile whisker sense plays a primary role in environmental exploration and locomotion in both rats and mice (Vincent 1912;Watson 1907).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whisker touch guides canopy exploration in a nocturnal, arboreal rodent, the Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank Hazel Ryan for her continued help and support, especially in handling the dormice; also to Hazel Ryan and Angus Carpenter for their comments on the manuscript. We are extremely thankful to the Wildwood Trust for the use of their facilities and animals. The authors are also grateful to Ben Mitchinson for designing the climbing arenas and developing the portable set-up, and to Holly Langridge and Fraser Combe for data collection support. Thanks to Brendan O'Connor for finding and translating some of the literature. Video analysis was performed using the BIOTACT Whisker Tracking Tool which was created under the auspices of the FET Proactive project FP7 BIOTACT project (ICT 215910), which also partly funded the study, alongside a small project grant from the British Ecological Society (BES). A big thanks goes to the CEB Research Group at MMU for listening to results summaries and advising about the project direction. Animal careAll animals were part of a rescue and rehabilitation program, or from a breeding pool at the Wildwood Trust in Kent (UK) and approved by local ethics committees at each of the academic institutions and at the Wildwood Trust.2 Abstract Dormouse numbers are declining in the UK due to habitat loss and fragmentation. We know that dormice are nocturnal, arboreal, and avoid crossing open spaces between habitats, yet how they navigate around their canopy is unknown. As other rodents use whisker touch sensing to navigate and explore their environment, this study investigates whether Hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) employ their whiskers to cross between habitats. We analysed high-speed video footage of dormice exploring freely in flat and climbing arenas in near darkness and using infrared light illumination. We confirm that, like rats and mice, dormice move their whiskers back and forth continuously (~10 Hz) in a motion called whisking and recruit them to explore small gaps (<10 cm) by increasing the amplitude and frequency of whisking and also the asymmetry of movement between the left and right whisker fields. When gaps between platforms are larger than 10-15 cm dormice spend more time travelling on the floor. These findings suggest that dormice can actively and purposively move their whiskers to gather relevant information from their canopy at night. As this species is vulnerable to threats on the ground, we also provide evidence that joining habitat patches between dormouse populations is important for promoting natural behaviours and movement between patches. AbbreviationsRC -rostrocaudal DC -dorsoventral BWTT -BIOTACT Whisker Tracking Tool

show abstract

“…However, few studies have examined locomotor ontogeny in an environment where the 481 Locomotor ontogeny in sugar gliders natural diversity of substrates is represented. Field and especially lab-based studies of arboreal mammals have identified detailed kinematic or kinetic locomotor adjustments to substrate variation in adults (McClearn, 1992;Vilensky et al, 1994;Lemelin et al, 2003;Schmitt, 2003a;Schmitt and Hanna, 2004;Delciellos and Vieira, 2006;Stevens, 2006;Scheibe et al, 2007;Stevens, 2007;Nyakatura et al, 2008;Carlson and Demes, 2010;Nyakatura and Heymann, 2010;Schmidt and Fischer, 2010) but much less extensively from an ontogenetic perspective (but see Young, 2009a;Young, 2009b). In contrast, naturalistic studies of locomotor ontogeny in arboreal taxa (mainly primates) have mostly focused on ontogenetic shifts in locomotor and substrate preferences (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinematics of quadrupedal locomotion in sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps): effects of age and substrate size

Shapiro

Young

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARY Arboreal mammals face unique challenges to locomotor stability. This is particularly true with respect to juveniles, who must navigate substrates similar to those traversed by adults, despite a reduced body size and neuromuscular immaturity. Kinematic differences exhibited by juveniles and adults on a given arboreal substrate could therefore be due to differences in body size relative to substrate size, to differences in neuromuscular development, or to both. We tested the effects of relative body size and age on quadrupedal kinematics in a small arboreal marsupial (the sugar glider, Petaurus breviceps; body mass range of our sample 33-97 g). Juvenile and adult P. breviceps were filmed moving across a flat board and three poles 2.5, 1.0 and 0.5 cm in diameter. Sugar gliders (regardless of age or relative speed) responded to relative decreases in substrate diameter with kinematic adjustments that promote stability; they increased duty factor, increased the average number of supporting limbs during a stride, increased relative stride length and decreased relative stride frequency. Limb phase increased when moving from the flat board to the poles, but not among poles. Compared with adults, juveniles (regardless of relative body size or speed) used lower limb phases, more pronounced limb flexion, and enhanced stability with higher duty factors and a higher average number of supporting limbs during a stride. We conclude that although substrate variation in an arboreal environment presents similar challenges to all individuals, regardless of age or absolute body size, neuromuscular immaturity confers unique problems to growing animals, requiring kinematic compensation.

show abstract

Arboreal locomotion in rats – the challenge of maintaining stability

Cited by 88 publications

References 36 publications

Biodynamics of climbing: effects of substrate orientation on the locomotion of a highly arboreal lizard (Chamaeleo calyptratus)

Biodynamics of climbing: effects of substrate orientation on the locomotion of a highly arboreal lizard (Chamaeleo calyptratus)

Whisker touch guides canopy exploration in a nocturnal, arboreal rodent, the Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)

Kinematics of quadrupedal locomotion in sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps): effects of age and substrate size

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About